Display device



c. w. WADSWORTH DI SPLAY DEVICE Filed May 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. W. WADSWO RTH DISPLAY DEVICE Fild May 13, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 amoemtoz ber as a whole flexible and resilient.

Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

ES w. WADSWORTH, or MERRICK, NEW YORK, nssrenon T0 or NEW YORK, N. Y.

T. FRED. MOORE,

DISPLAY DEVICE.

Application filed May 13, 1922. Serial No. 560,521.

10 same.

This invention relates to display devices, and aims to provide a simple easily adjustable foldable device'for holdingflat a flexible poster or a portion or panel thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may quickly and easily be placed in display position without danger of tearing the poster, andreadily folded for transportation.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the parts of the device so as to eliminate danger of accidental displacement of them after the device has been placed in dis- 26 play position.

A device constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a foldable stretching member having its ends pivoted to edge strips secured along opposite edges of a flexible poster or of a part or panel of such 0 a poster. The foldable' stretching member consists of two or more normally straight pieces -or sections pivotally. connected together. one at least of which is flexible and resilient, so as to make the stretching m i ililie total length of the stretching member between its end pivots when extended is slightly greater than the straight line distance between the pivots when the poster is stretched flat so that the stretching member is bowed outwardly from the poster when extended. The tendency of the stretching member toreasSume a straight position causes an outward thrust-on the edge piece suflicient to stretch the poster, or the portion of the poster between them, flat, without danger of tearing it.

The pivotal connections at the ends of the stretching member retainthese ends in proper relation to the edge pieces while the A further feature of the invention consists in extending one or both of the connected ends of the pieces of the stretching member beyond the pivot so as to overlap the adjacent piece when the member is ex-' tended. The overlapping ends of the pieces add to the strength of the stretching member and may serve also to prevent acciden-- tal displacement of the member when in extended position.

In order that the invention may clearly b understood, I will describe in detail the embodiments ofit which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figs. 1, 2-and 3 show the application of the invention to a poster having three panels and vertical edge strips. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device in display position; Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of the device in' displa position, showing in dotted lines the position ofthe parts when the device is partly folded; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device in loosely folded postion.

Figs; 4 and 5 illustrate the application of the invention to a one panel poster haying horizontal top and bottom edge strips. Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the device in display position; and 'Fig. 5 is a pers ective view of the device in loosely folde tion. n

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 will first be described. The device includes a flexible poster may be of any suitable material, such as paper or fabric. On the front side of the poster, that is, the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2, display matter is printed or otherwise displayed. To the back of the poster along the-edges of its portions or panels 10, 10, 10 are secured a plurality of pairs of arallel spaced edge strips 11 and 12. Int e particular device illustrated in the drawing s,-these stri s are of wood. They may, however, be ma e of other material. So far as the operation of the device is concerned, they are rigid.

Cooperating with each pair of edge strips 11 and 12 and each panel 10 of the poster, is a stretching member'lB. In the form illustrated each stretching member 13 consists posiof two overlapping and pivotally connected pieces or'sections 14 and 15. The outer ends of the pieces 14 and 15 are connected to the edge strips 11 and 12 respectively by parallel pivots 16 and 17 perpendicular to the edge strips. The pivot 18 connecting the overlapping ends of the pieces 14 and 15 is parallel to the pivots 16 and 17 when the pieces 14 and 15 are not bowed. The overlapping ends 19 and 20 of the p1eces 1d and 15 are most desirably extended substantially beyond the pivot 18.

Both pieces 14 and 15 of each stretching member 13 in the device shown are normally straight, flexible and resilient. They may conveniently be formed of strips of wood. They are of the same length between their pivot points so that the edge strips 11 and 12 of each panel 10 may be brought evenly together by folding their stretching member 13 as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The total length of each stretching member 13 between its end pivots, when extended, is greater than the straight line distance between the pivots when the poster is stretched fiat, so that each stretching member, when extended, is bowed outwardly from the poster, as best seen in Fig. 1.

A sliable clip 21 may be placed around the underlapping strip 1 1 of each stretching member 13 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The use of the device described is as follows When the device is to be transported the corresponding edge strips are brought together by folding the stretching members to lie against the edge strips as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the three panels of the poster are folded or rolled about the edge strips and stretching members.

When the device is to be placed in display position, each panel is partially opened up by separating its edge strips, bringing the two pieces of its stretching member into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Each panel is then stretched flatby pressing down the middle portion of its jointed stretching member. This brings the stretching members into extended position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position they are each bowed outwardly from the poster. The pivots serve to guide the stretching members when they are pressed from the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to extended position, and thus make this operation quick and easy; and the permanent pivoting of both ends of each stretching member to two edge strips'with which it coacts eliminates the possibility of the piercing of the poster by one of the ends of the stretching member in setting up the poster. After each panel 10 of the poster has been stretched fiat, the poster may be made to stand erect by swinging the two end panels forward out of the plane of the middle panel as illustrated in Flg. 2. The adjacent edge. strips-of adjoinin panels of the poster are hinged together, t e hinge being formed. in the construction shown by the narrow portlons or the poster between them.

neaosse l Vhen each stretching member 13 has been placed in extended and bowed position, the underlapping end 19 of its piece 14 presses against its outer piece 15 and frictionally resists relative turning of the pieces 14 and 15 about the pivot 18 and thus tends to prevent accidental displacement of the stretching member. Such displacement may, however, be positively prevented by sliding the clip 21 along the inner or underlapping piece 1 1 and over the end of the overlapping end 20 of the outer piece 15. The tension of the end 20 then holds the clip 21 in position, and the clip positively prevents any angular displacement of the pieces 14 and 15. The extended overlapping ends 19 and 20 add to the strength of the stretching member while the clip 21 relieves the strain on the pivot 18. The device shown in Figs. 4: and 5 is in general similar to one of the panels 10 of the poster shown in Figsrl to 3, and the parts cooperating therewith. In Figs. 4 and 5, however, the edge strips 111 and 112 are horizontal and two jointed. stretching members 113 are provided; and the device is also provided with props 125 which serve to hold the poster upright when it is stretched flat by the stretching members. The props are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the upper edge strip by the pivots which connect the upper ends of the stretching members to the edge strip, so that the props when the device is folded may extend parallel to the edge strip, and when the device is set up in display position will extend away from the poster in a direction tangential to the upper ends of the bowed stretching members.

Devices embodying the invention may be used for the display of pictures, photographs and printed matter of all kinds, all of which are intended to be included in the lit is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments which.

have been described, andthat certain features of the invention which are combined in the embodiments illustrated mayaunder some conditions be advantageously used separately.

What is claimed is: 1. The combination with a flexible poster, of spaced edge strips,; and a stretching member consisting of a plurality of pieces which are permanently connected together and permanently connected .to said edge strips by pivots approximately perpendicular to the edge strips, the stretching member bein flexible in the plane of the pivots, resihent, normally straight, and bowed outwardly from the poster so that it exerts a iJhIliSt on the edge strips in the direction of its en 2. T e combination with a flexible poster, of a folding stretching member adapted to Nil exert an outward thrust at spaced points of tended and bowed outwardly from the 10 the poster and greater in length when exposter. v

tended than the distance between said points, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set said stretching member being formed of a my hand in the presence of two subscribnormally straight flexible and resilient outer ing witnesses.

piece and an inner piece pivoted to said CHARLES W. WADSWORTH. outer. piece and having an extension beyond Witnesses: the pivot which is pressed against the outer, A. JARECKY,

piece when the stretching member is ex- A. L. KENT. 

